


Clouds in the Air

by CowboyBoyfriend



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: F/M, Feli is "Catholic", Feli is Genderfluid, Lud is Athiest and Awkward, M/M, You'll see what I mean, just so y'all know was up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-30 20:29:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20103172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CowboyBoyfriend/pseuds/CowboyBoyfriend
Summary: Ludwig Beilschmidt feels uncomfortable around churches and chooses to stay outside them. Feliciano's family frequent them as is their catholic nature. An unlikely meeting of two whose religious beliefs are closer than they think.





	Clouds in the Air

**Author's Note:**

> This fic may or may not be continued but I finished this first bit so enjoy! ♡

If the church's entrance was on a different side of the building Ludwig wouldn't be as cold, waiting for his brother to come out after Mass. He felt deep regret seeping through him, was it worth it to wait outside? Even if it wouldn't be possible for anyone to know he decided he'd feel better not going into the old building.

Maybe he'd be lucky and Mass would be over very soon. Although he wasn't the best with luck, he might as well have wished for a miracle to happen.

"Hi, hello!" Suddenly an unknown voice came up behind him and Lud whipped around to look who spoke.

He had been greeted by someone with a bright face and chestnut red hair. Ludwig wasn't sure how someone so sunny could be addressing him at all, but his raised eyebrows must have made the young adult speak again.

"Are you okay?" They said, tilting their head slightly.

"Yes. Sorry, you surprised me... is Mass over already?" Lud asked them.

The young person shook their held, smiling bashfully under Ludwig's gaze.

"No, I wanted to come outside for a moment. It's a little stuffy in there today... actually that makes sense considering it's the end of Lent."

Ludwig pulled an uncomfortable face and looked off to the side. He hadn't given anything up for Lent, primarily he thought it was silly to do such a thing in the first place.

"Well, it's cold out here. So I wouldn't stay too long." Ludwig avoided looking at the stranger, although he was sure he recognized them.

"Why are you outside? Did you find it too hot in there too?" They smiled at him.

"Uh, no." Ludwig half-laughed. He didn't really want to talk to any religious people if he could help it. Something about the idea of a deity watching over your every action was nerve wracking. Still, he avoided making too much eye-contact with the young person, hoping that they'd leave him be.

There was silence, a suffocating silence where Ludwig swore he could hear his own heart beat loud enough. Or maybe that was simply his anxiety's doing, making him uncomfortable in a seemingly harmless situation, yet again.

"Sorry, I will leave you be.." the young person went and sat on the other side of the entrance so as to not disturb Lud, but the distance only made him feel bad for ignoring them.

More silence. Ludwig felt an itch, an itch to deal with the silence by filling himself with smoke. Perhaps letting the haze cloud the air around him so no one else could try to talk to him anymore. But this was a religious place, and as much as he wasn't so, something felt disrespectful about smoking on any holy ground. He took a silent breath and looked up to the sky.

"I'm not religious."

The young person was startled at the abruptness of his comment.

"Excuse me? Sorry I didn't..." The young person was looking at Ludwig's face, which was still turned up at the sky, as if to avoid the awkard tension between them.

"I am not... a religious man." Ludwig sighed, finally turning to look the young person in the face.

"Okay..." The young person laughed slightly. What was so funny? "You are telling me this why?"

"You are religious so it would be weird to talk to me. We would probably clash."

The young person made a face, squinting at Ludwig.

"What do you mean?" The young person didn't move from their spot but they leaned in a way that appeared as if they were intrigued by Ludwig.

He gulped. How exactly was their difference in faith making him feel that way?

"It's hard to explain-"

"Try." The young person smiled at Lud, it was such a warm inviting smile. It didn't help Ludwig gather his thoughts at all.

"Well... you believe in God, and I don't. So a lot of the things you'd believe in make me uncomfortable because to me that is not how the world works."

"Okay... why would we need to talk about our beliefs in the first place?" The young man looked ahead of him at the small patch of grass that stretched in front of the church. "I have other interests, like... painting. Or reading, or watching adventure movies and animated films. Is that hard to talk about too?"

Ludwig furrowed his 'brows, unsure what to say to that. He did jump to the conclusion that the young person would only talk about religion, but they were at church, surely that would be a go to topic?

"You don't need to be afraid of my belief in God." Ludwig looked up to see the young person was getting down and approaching him again. "Is it okay if we start over?"

The young person held out their hand to Ludwig who hesitantly took it.

"I'm Feliciano, and you are?"

Ludwig was almost caught out by how soft this person's hand was that he stumbled. "Beilsch-Ludwig! My name is Ludwig. Last name Beilschmidt." Of course he messed up saying his own name.

"Vargas. My last name." Feliciano smiled at Ludwig. "Is this better?"

Ludwig felt somewhat appreciative of Feliciano's insistent nature. It was refreshing, if a little annoying, but perhaps the charm of it was that he was trying so hard to be friendly with him.

"Yes it is. Sorry for my..." he flattened his mouth, "awkward nature."

"It's no problem! Sometimes I do come off a little strong." Feliciano laughed. "You never did answer my question though..."

Ludwig hummed inquisitively at that.

"Why are you outside?" Feliciano asked.

"I'm waiting for my brother."

"Oh! Alright, I thought you just felt too nervous to go back inside or something."

Ludwig didn't want to say Feliciano was right.

"Wait, why would you wait outside anyway? Is it the whole uncomfortable thing?" Feliciano's eyebrows knitted upwards and Ludwig felt a compulsion to fix it.

"It's alright, my brother understands, I'm happier out here."

Feliciano reeled back a little looking a tad shocked.

"Don't you get bored? Ever??"

"No. I can keep myself busy." Lud pulled his phone out of his pocket and waved it slightly, before putting it away again.

Feliciano considered what Ludwig said, but he wouldn't have that.

"I feel like you'd do better if you had company sometimes. How about I hang out with you during Mass?"

Ludwig suddenly felt a little apprehensive, why on earth would this stranger want to just spend time with him. That was a little more than weird.

"Um... I mean I'm not lonely out here."

Liar.

"Oh-... I didn't, oh sorry, I didn't consider that you may enjoy being alone" Feli laughed nervously.

Suddenly there was laughter coming from within the church and soon the sound of people getting ready to leave.

"Um, I should probably leave you be." Feliciano started to leave before Ludwig reached out for him.

"Wait! Can I have your phone number?"

Ludwig had no idea why he asked him, and part of him was regretting the answer. Feliciano quickly turned around and looked at Lud with, what at first must have been surprise which then turned into, glee and nodded at him.

"Yes!" Feliciano turned to face Lud one more time and although his behaviour made him seem uncertain he approached Ludwig so that they could exchange contact details.

"I will text you."

"I hope so!" Feliciano turned to leave again this time with happiness in his eyes.

Something about him made Ludwig feel both incredibly wonderful and incredibly queasy. He had to lean against the wall to regain himself.

Soon Gilbert returned to Lud and the two headed off to the car, Ludwig keeping his little encounter to himself. He didn't need to tell his brother for him to know something happened.

His ears were bright red.


End file.
